Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy

Weight Loss Mechanism

The reduction of the size of the stomach, to about 60 cc in volume results in a powerful restrictive weight loss. As a result, patients feel full after a very small amount of food, and therefore lose weight because they eat less, and they are happy eating less. There are also significant effects on the hunger mechanisms that make the weight loss seen with the Sleeve Gastectomy even better than would be seen just with a small stomach pouch. Hunger is favorably affected because there is a reduced capacity to produce Ghrelin, a substance that plays a role in how you feel and relieve hunger.

Preservation of Pyloric Valve

The Gastric Bypass is mostly restrictive, but there is a malabsorptive component to it that helps achieve more weight loss than with restrictive operations alone.

The Operation

The Sleeve Gastrectomy operation is done with 5 small incisions, and takes 45 minutes to an hour to do. Dr. Smith uses a small tube to size the Sleeve so that the diameter of the resulting stomach pouch is not too small or too large. He does a ``leak test`` in the operating room before he completes the operation. Having the Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy usually involves just an overnight stay in the hospital. There is no drain or nasogastric tube. You are able to return to work, resume heavy lifting and strenuous activity, in most cases, in about two weeks from the time of surgery. If you are able to do light duty at work, there is the possibility of going back to work sooner than two weeks.

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